Canadian Military Records: an Introduction

Canadian military records are extensive, but, like those of many other colonies that eventually became sovereign
nations, the vast majority
were not generated by Canada itself until very recently.

As you may already know, Canada had two founding nations (other than the native Canadians): France and Britain.

The French had colonies in North America dating from the 1600s,
and it soon became apparent that a military presence was necessary to
protect those colonies from invasion or attack by other countries
seeking control of the "New World".

Some French military records concerning their colonies in what is
now eastern Canada exist from the 1600s to 1763, when France ceded
control of its colonies to the British under the Treaty of Paris.
Library and Archives Canada ("The LAC") has copies of these documents,
as outlined in my page on the New France period.

Canadian Sabre aircraft. Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, OntarioCreative Commons Licence, Wikimedia Commons

During the time period that Britain governed Canada (1763 - 1871), there were many different battles fought on Canadian soil.

The majority of the battles this time, however, were not between
Britain and other countries, but between Britain and what is now the
United States of America. The American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783)
and the American Civil War (1863 - 1869) are two examples.

Canada had a major influx of people, known as United Empire
Loyalists and Black Loyalists, who fought on the British side in the
American Revolutionary War. Also, some German soldiers who fought for
the British chose to remain in Canada. See my page The American Revolutionary War: Fighting for the British for more details.

As a result of this War, not one but two nations were forged:
one intent on independence from Britain, and the other seeking to remain
loyal to the British king and to remain part of the British Empire.

A further wave of immigration occurred after the American Civil War.

Huron X Guns. Royal Military College of Canada. Creative Commons licence, Wikimedia Commons

Between these two Wars, there was a perceived need to defend
Canada's borders from invading American forces. Military installations
were placed at strategic points all along the St. Lawrence Seaway, which
in some locations is quite narrow. American forces did the same along
their side of the Seaway.

In the course of defending Canada's border, the British therefore
generated and maintained extensive documentation of their military
presence in Canada. Again, the LAC has obtained copies of the British
records pertaining to Canada, as outlined in my page on the period of British rule for more information.

After Canada became a nation in 1867, the British felt that the
new nation should defend its own borders. The last British troops
pulled out in 1871. Any military records generated between 1871 and the
present, therefore, were "home grown" - produced by Canadians, with the
exception of some World War I records generated by the British. See my page about Canada and World Wars I and II for more details.

Sources of Canadian Military Documents outside the LAC

You will note that most of the sources cited on the Canadian Military
Records pages are within the LAC. While these are excellent resources,
there are also many other great free resources related to the Canadian
military and other documentation related to Canadians who had done
military service.

The following websites contain additional information, some of it
simply background, and some of it relevant for genealogical purposes,
with respect to free Canadian military documents: